Agriculture Committee on Feb. 24th, 2009

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

We'll call the meeting to order. The other meeting was a little bit late leaving, but for the sake of time, we'll get going.

At the last meeting, there was a motion to make this meeting public. We are meeting in public unless there is a wish to do otherwise. Not hearing anything on that, I'll leave this meeting open, and we'll get back to laying out the groundwork on where we want to go.

Who wants to lead off? I believe we were down to the part about program review.

[Mark Eyking, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

Chair, could you remind us where we were exactly?

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

You're younger than I am, Mark.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[Mark Eyking, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

Did we leave on a good note or...?

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

I think we always do.

I'll ask the clerk to correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe we were at the point where we had discussed listeriosis and agreed on a subcommittee. I believe the whips of the parties are meeting or have met on that. I haven't heard the results. That probably will include suggested meeting dates and times and the layout of the committee. I think we passed a motion here last time that the subcommittee, while probably smaller in numbers, will have the same makeup as far as representation goes, or as close as possible.

Mr. Atamanenko.

[Alex Atamanenko, NDP, British Columbia Southern Interior, BC]

I just got an e-mail saying that apparently the whips have agreed to a seven-person subcommittee on listeriosis, so I guess that's going ahead. I imagine they'll be working out who is going to be on the committee. That's apparently in the works.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Okay.

[Alex Atamanenko, NDP, British Columbia Southern Interior, BC]

The other thing, while we're at the stage of setting our schedule, is that I've taken the liberty of throwing some thoughts together on dates, following the schedule that our steering committee had. I believe the clerk has some copies to distribute at this meeting. It's my understanding that they would be here to distribute at the meeting. I have it in both languages.

I just thought it would make things go more quickly, because I actually put dates to some of these topics. Subsequent to that, Brian and I talked. There is a suggestion that we look at some of the competitiveness stuff first. We can talk about that, but it's here. I thought copies would be distributed at the meeting.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

There are no copies of that, but I think, Alex, that hopefully some time today we're going to get a tentative idea of where to lay them out. It's going to depend on witness availability for some of them.

[Alex Atamanenko, NDP, British Columbia Southern Interior, BC]

Should I give the clerk one copy? Maybe we can do something with that. It's in both languages.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Okay, we can do that.

I have Mr. Shipley and then Mr. Bellavance.

[Bev Shipley, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Thanks, Mr. Chairman.

I'm just wondering, Mr. Atamanenko, how does that work with the subcommittee? I'm not sure what's on that copy, but I thought the steering committee actually would set the dates, set the agenda, and look at what was coming up. I thought that was the purpose of the steering committee.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

The idea of that steering committee was to come up with the proposed items to discuss and lay out an approximate amount of meetings that they expected it would take. That then comes back here, which is what we're discussing right now. Depending on what happens here today, we'll know how many meetings, the order, and that kind of thing. I guess there's nothing wrong with Mr. Atamanenko proposing that, but again it has to be--

[Bev Shipley, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

No, it could be used, I guess. It's just a thought, that's all. I didn't have it in front of me, so I was just wondering how that process worked with dates being put forward and how that will fit into today's agenda.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Once the committee decides on the priority of issues and approximately how many witnesses.... Of course, the witnesses are going to be determined by when each and every of you gets your witness lists in. If we get done today, I'm probably going to suggest that by late tomorrow we get them in, and then we can start to know. A lot of these witnesses like to know a week in advance, if possible.

Once we get the direction from the committee, it will be up to the clerk to sit down, try to fill in the list, and see who we can get. The committee may decide that they want a certain group here at the next meeting or two meetings down the road, but that may not work for witnesses, so what we'll do is get them in as soon as possible after that. That's all we can do.

Mr. Bellavance is next.

[André Bellavance, Bloc, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Thank you. Today the discussion is about our future topics of discussion. The clerk has just given us the first report on the tentative schedule. I suggest that we look at it together and discuss which priorities to highlight. We have to begin by deciding what we are going to talk about and how many meetings to dedicate to each topic.

Larry mentioned the availability of witnesses. Let me point out that, if we begin by reviewing programs, obviously we will want to ask a lot of public servants to appear—people who are readily available. That is a suggestion. We would not have too much trouble getting started on our work if we began with that question.

I would like to talk about another point. With the steering committee, I came back to product of Canada labelling, and I think I raised the issue with the main committee. A rule was amended and lots of people reacted to this rule of 98%. I felt it was of utmost importance for the committee to hold sessions on this issue, if only one or two. This file has to be discussed again, even if the committee did some excellent work in this connection. I do not want us to start over from the beginning on this file. However, the amendment of this rule to come up with 98% has consequences for both producers and processors. I have received information not only from Quebec but from everywhere concerning this decision.

So the committee should take a look at this question, which is not on the tentative schedule. I would have liked to see it there. As far as I am concerned, I intend to discuss it and let the committee know that I plan to come back to this subject.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Mr. Bellavance, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think if the product of Canada labelling had been discussed at the subcommittee, it would have been on here. You're asking for something over and above what the subcommittee talked about that day.

Mark.

[Mark Eyking, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

We did talk about labelling, but program review was number one. I think we're going to settle that one in a minute.

I think we agreed on some sort of motion last meeting about product of Canada labelling. That might flow into what André is saying as part of where we're going. Add it to the agenda, I guess.

Wasn't there a motion about labelling? Does the clerk have one there? That could clarify where we should be going.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

There was a motion moved by Mr. Storseth, but that was on a different issue. There was one motion moved by Mr. Hoback that the committee study the effect of current regulations on the competitiveness of farm products, etc. That was approved 11 to 0. Another one was moved by Mr. Lemieux at the standing committee, to study international trade and market development. It passed 11 to 0; it was unanimous. Then we were discussing that the committee proceed to reconsider matters related to committee business. That's where we are now.

Mr. Bellavance.

[André Bellavance, Bloc, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

We never discarded the question. But it does not appear on the tentative schedule. We talked about COOL, or mandatory country of origin labelling, but you said yourself that these were not things we could put together. COOL is really separate.

I reiterate my wish that the committee hold enough meetings between now and June to talk about the products of Canada file. I would very much like the committee to support this idea. I want us to discuss it today and for it to be added to the other items.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

That could be done simply enough, as long as we get a majority vote to do that.

André, you're suggesting that it basically go at the bottom of the list, but that it at least be included for now. Is that what you're saying?

[André Bellavance, Bloc, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

We will not turn this into a half-hour fight today. I will present a motion if necessary. I wish to repeat to the committee that this is a file we should discuss.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Mr. Lemieux.

[Pierre Lemieux, Conservative, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

I would like to support the comments made by Mr. Bellavance. We can talk very quickly for two hours without ever reaching a decision, if we do not organize our schedule today.

It would be a good idea to study the subcommittee's first report, to set priorities and add some more. This is the subcommittee's report and some changes need to be made to it. For example, it is suggested that we hold two meetings on listeriosis, when we do not need them.

So we have to adopt the first report and add other priorities, after which we can revise the schedule presented by Mr. Atamanenko. If we try to do two things at once, we are going to get to the end of the two hours without having decided anything and we will have to start the discussion over again at the next meeting.

I think we should focus on this first report, Mr. Chair. Let's start modifying it the way we, as a committee, want it. Then we can look at schedules and meetings.

Thank you.